Hopefully you haven't been in a coma for the last 25 years, because you'd be shocked to know that the once-great Plymouth has been dead since the turn of the century. Even more depressing is that the end of this storied brand was pretty ugly. In the 1990s, the vast majority of Plymouth's lineup consisted of badge-engineered versions of various Japanese cars or leftover Dodge products, and it was still only able to muster up about half of Dodge's sales. At the very end, the retro-modern-styled Prowler was the brand's only true Plymouth-designed model.
๐ The Core Development
When it was finally put on the chopping block in 1999, Plymouth was simply not a part of Chrysler's future plans. Done and dusted. But nobody really cares that Plymouth went out at a low point โ it's not like we judge Michael Jordan's career based on his final seasons with the Washington Wizards, right? Right.
Plymouth, despite its quiet and underwhelming demise, was a pillar of the American auto industry and delivered some of the most timeless Mopars of the 20th century, some of which you may be interested in for yourself. If that's the case (or if you're simply curious about values), we've conjured up a mix of desirable and important Plymouths, each with an up-to-date estimated value from Hagerty for you to compare against your bank account... and your better judgment.
๐ Background & Sector Context
In contrast to the bleak 1990s version of Plymouth, mid-1950s Plymouth was convincingly in the fight for industry-leading sales figures. It was one of the top three brands in the U.S. by sales in the early part of this decade, but its hold was slipping, and the Plymouth Fury nameplate was one small part of the plan to get this train back on track. The Fury first arrived in 1956 as the high-performance trim of Plymouth's full-size Belvedere. For three model years, the Fury name continued as a mere option (these "sub-series" Belvedere Fury models are actually quite rare), but in 1959, the Fury was spun off as a standalone model.
But now, the Fury itself needed a high-performance trim; hence, the Sport Fury. It only came in two-door configurations, with a hardtop and a slightly more expensive convertible option for those in sunny climates. And because it was the king-of-the-hill version of the Fury, the Sport Fury ditched the typical 230-horsepower two-barrel-carbureted 318 V8 and opted for the four-barrel, 260-horsepower version of the 318 V8 as the standard engine option. There was even an optional 361-cubic-inch "Golden Commando" V8, which boosted the Sport Fury's output to 305 horsepower.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
Aside from the motors, the 1959 Sport Fury was a slick piece of machinery at the time, featuring an air-powered leveling system for the rear suspension, swiveling seats (safety first, of course), and an automatically dimming rear-view mirror, among others. In 1959, a Sport Fury cost just under $3,000 (around $30,000 in today's money). Coincidentally, for a good-condition Sport Fury equipped with its standard 318 V8, the estimated value today comes out to around $30,000.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
The Plymouth GTX, also known as " the gentleman's muscle car ," appeared right in the midst of the whirlwind of Mopar muscle competition in the mid-to-late 1960s. There was the Satellite, Barracuda, Charger, and eventually the Road Runner, Duster, and Challenger, all vying for the hearts and wallets of those partial to a bit of straight-line speed. And because this came before the Road Runner, the GTX was Plymouth's first real attempt at making a hot Belvedere-based muscle car.
But the GTX isn't just special because it was one of Plymouth's very first attempts at a high-performance automobile. Rather, it's because the GTX never settled for dipping a mere toe into the horsepower wars โ it dove straight in. Like LeBron James going directly from high school to the NBA, the GTX's standard engine was the 375-horsepower "Super Commando" 440-cubic-inch V8. Additionally, the only optional engine aside from the standard 440 was the venerable 426 Hemi โ quite a brochure, no?
